Professor Trevor Munroe, Executive Director of the National Integrity Action (NIA) gave an astounding speech last evening at the 12th Annual CIN Lecture Series held at the Schomburg Center in New York.
Munroe’s brilliant speech was well received by a packed audience as he outlined the problems of corruption plaguing Jamaica and the wider Caribbean and presented ways in which we should confront this issue. In his speech Dr Munroe said “Corruption is a key element in economic underperformance and a major obstacle to poverty alleviation and development”. He continued by quoting former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan: “Corruption hurts the poor disproportionately by diverting funds intended for development, undermining a government’s ability to provide basic services, feeding inequality and injustice and discouraging foreign aid and investment.”
Following the resounding presentation, Delroy Alcott, Manager Director of West Indies Home Contractors (WIHCON) who was the title sponsor of this year’s CIN Lecture, presented Prof. Munroe with an award in recognition of his tireless advocacy for transparency and accountability in both the private and public sector within Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.
Dr Munroe’s presentation captivated the audience, which included persons such as Butch Hendrickson, CEO of the National Baking Company, Lowell Hawthorne, President and CEO of Golden Krust, Derrick Reckord of Grace Kennedy and Una Clarke, Former NYC Council Woman.
The CIN Lecture Series was conceptualized by CIN’s CEO, Stephen Hill, to present visionary Caribbean leaders who reflect on regional affairs and provide hope and direction for the future. During his introduction of the Presenter, Lowell Hawthorne said, “CIN has never failed to bring renowned speakers and delegates from the region who share rich experiences and an array of exciting and challenging topics and this year is no different”.
